The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-06-30
The Iron Industry of the South


From the New Orleans Times Democrat.
Pittsburg and the entire Pennsylvania
coal aud iron district are becoming
alarmed over the rapid growth of the iron
industry of the south. Many Pennsyl-
vanians who have been down south have
spoken so tlatteringly of its advantages
that this alarm is not to be wondered at.
Even Mr.. Kelley himself, the warmest and
sturdiest advocate and friend of the Key
stone state, was compelled to admit his
fears that Alabama could make pig iron
more cheaply than any save the most
favored portions of Pennsylvania, and
that the manufacturers of the latter state
would have to devote themselves more and
more to certain special iron industries in
which they excelied. Other Pennsyl-
vanians who came south, including owners
of furnaces and rolling plants, not only
reported in favor of Alabama, but actually
moved their establishments to the sonth,
because it offered them greater advan-
tages in the raw materials than in their
own state.
| So universally favorable have been these
| reports that number of the Pittsburg
manufacturers who had become alarmed
over the iron boom in the south, sent an
agent down here, short time ago, to in
vestigate it carefully, to report the abso-
lutte facts, and whether they had anything
to fear. This agent, Mr.. 7. X. Mcknight,
reports as follows:
"The fever to build in those states is
almost unparalleled Capitalists from the
west the north, and even from England
are rushing in, building iron-works OF
every description, wherever they can Sc
cure a foothold of available territory
In the time l was there l heard
of fifty corporations with plans fol
building in the near future. At Wes
Nashville alone there were thirteen, among
which were bolt works, iron furnaces ant
steel works. Some time ago the tow
had public sale of lots for building pur
poses. In three days it had realized $2S5,
900, and that town is but newly laid out
The West Nashville Steel, Iron and Char
coal company is now building two fur
naces, with capacity of 180 tons each
At Sheffield, Ala, the Tennessee Coal an'
Iron Railway company is building
furnace of 40 tons capacity
The Sheffield Iron company is building
furnace of 1870 tons capacity. At Annls
ton Ala, the Noble brothers are building
a furnace. At Bessemer, Ala, the De Bar
deleben Iron company is building tw
furnaces At Woodstock, Ala, the irol
company of that name is also building
furnace. At Birmingham the Tennessee
Coal and Iron company, with capital o
$1,000, 900, is putting up four new furnaces
with capacity of 900 tons day. Chat
tanooga is to-day congratulating hersel
on having the first steel rail mill il
the south. 1t is called the Roam Iro
com pany and the mill was put in opera
tion last week. At Louisville the unio
r Pipe company have just erected me-
cast-lron pipe works. This conveys bu
E faint idea of the craze which is possess
ing capitalists to invest in the souther
9 iron business. The country is LITERAL
alive with schemes"
There is very little comfort in this fo
the Pennsylvanians; indeed, no 'stronge
or more favorable report" has been mad
in regard to the iron industry of th
a south, and if it has any effect it will b
to send the Pennsylvania iron maker
3 down here by the hundred.